The application of lettering and designs to automobile exteriors is an expensive and time consuming process because it must be done professionally by hand and requires an extraordinary talent.
To make this procedure less expensive and less difficult stencils have been made available so that untrained individuals can apply decorative effects to vehicle exteriors with a minimum of effort. Unfortunately, stenciling still requires careful and accurate work and the templates available for this purpose are of such poor quality that the stenciling process often results in an unprofessional-looking design.
Moreover, the paints provided in auto stenciling kits generally require long drying periods as a result of which there is an opportunity for the paint surface to absorb dirt and other particles from the atmosphere. To avoid this occurrence blotters are sometimes used to absorb excess paint but this only serves to introduce foreign particles into the paint and thus afford a design which is gritty or uneven in texture and unprofessional in appearance.